CADBURY was today shouting its success after its iconic Wispa chocolate bar won a top accolade as one of the nation’s favourite products.

It has been named as Product of the Year in a national survey.

The sweet treat has left bosses at the Birmingham-based firm flabbergasted by its success after it made an unexpected return to shop shelves last October.

First launched in 1981, Wispa sales began to fall in the 1990s and it was discontinued in 2003. However, chocoholics missed the bar so much a campaign was launched on social networking websites Facebook and MySpace in a bid to bring it back. Cadbury decided to give the public what they wanted, and in the last three months alone it has sold more than 41.4 million Wispa bars and the brand is currently worth £21 million.

Now it as been named as Product of the Year 2009 in the confectionary category in the UK’s biggest survey which saw more than 12,000 people putting shopping trolley essentials, from stain removers to shampoos, through their paces on behalf of Britain’s consumers to find the best products on the market.

A Cadbury spokesman said: “This is not only good news for Cadbury but it is great news for our plant in Bournville where the bar is made. “We are absolutely delighted to have won this award and we tribute it to the passion of its fans who wanted us to bring it back.

“The award is a fitting accolade.”

He described Wispa as a “true British icon” and said its relaunch has been Cadbury’s biggest success story in recent years, with it now being the firm’s best selling chocolate bar.

The company’s ‘For the Love of Wispa’ campaign invited fans, including Moseley ballroom dancers Kish and Meena Solanki, to showcase their talents and take part in TV adverts to boast the product’s success and the firm today pledged more advertising and marketing campaigns in a bid to maintain its success.

Wispa was one of the 34 Product of the Year winners to be crowned at a glittering ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House presented by comedian Danny Wallace.

The award means that Cadbury can display the red ‘Product of the Year’ symbol on all Wispa communications and packaging.

Retail experts believe it can be the difference between a product being sold or left on the shelf, with research showing half of undecided shoppers saying they were more likely to purchase products with the red mark.

Mike Nolan, head of Product of the Year, said: “As we are all looking to be more careful with money, it is vital to make the right purchasing decisions.

“With the awards voted by the people for the people, UK shoppers can stay safe in the knowledge that this year’s winners have once more been given a seal of approval by people like them.”